Welcome To London, Through The Eyes Of New York

When NoMad London first opened in Covent Garden in 2021, by the New York-based hospitality company Sydell Group, it brought with it a renewed optimism to the city’s hospitality scene. Post-Covid, this little slice of New York (the first NoMad property opened in 2012 on Broadway and has now morphed into The Ned NoMad) was ingeniously carved out of The Bow Street Magistrates’ Court and Police Station and made much of its grand Grade II-listed architecture with a NYC irreverence coupled with a London cool attitude.

Fast forward four years, and the hotel is still riding high—having been named No.46 in the inaugural World’s 50 Best Hotels list in 2023 and in 2024, receiving the One Michelin Key. Ushering in a new chapter for the NoMad brand, last year Hilton paid $56 million to acquire a controlling stake in NoMad Hotels, announcing big plans for the group, aiming to scale it up to many more properties over the next few years.

The addition of NoMad to Hilton’s brand portfolio marks the global hospitality leader’s entry into the fast-growing luxury lifestyle hotel market. While all NoMad properties will remain independently owned, Hilton projects that as many as 100 NoMad properties will be developed globally over time, with approximately 10 already in advanced stages of discussion with Sydell.

“Adding NoMad to our growing brand portfolio will create new offerings for guests seeking unique luxury experiences in some of the world’s most desirable locations,” said Chris Silcock, president, global brands and commercial services, Hilton. “By pairing an already proven brand concept that’s ready for expansion with the power of Hilton’s commercial engine, we are accelerating our ability to drive growth in the luxury lifestyle segment.”

“Coupled with our recently announced exclusive partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World and our planned acquisition of the Graduate Hotels brand, Hilton is leading the hotel industry with the addition of innovative new luxury and lifestyle offerings that meet changing guest needs and add new opportunities for owners to join our system,” Silcock said.

In light of its new future, NoMad London is continuing to reinvent itself, with the hotel having just relaunched its restaurant—which sits at the heart of the property—with hotel and restaurant design maestro, Martin Brudnizki, at the helm of the new design concept.

The new restaurant, Twenty8 NoMad, is a modern take on a classic New York bistro, and leans on the hotel’s NYC roots (its name refers to the addresses of NoMad New York, located on 28th Street in Manhattan, and NoMad London, located at 28 Bow Street). A large wood-burning hearth brings a homely touch (and is a nod to the wood-fired dishes on the menu), while towering palm trees, rattan chairs, rugs and vintage pendant lights reference the elegant palm courts of the turn of the 20^th century. Honey-coloured marble-topped tables and teak flooring bring a warmth to the eaterie, while, in the middle of the space is a half-moon bar, a working area once the norm in 1920s bistros, which serves the restaurant’s signature martini menu (as well as its New York classic cocktails and dedicated wine programme).

Also linking to the past, and riffing on the heritage of the building, are photos by Napoleon Sarony, the avant-garde photographer known for his striking portraits of Oscar Wilde, the playwright, who was famously tried at 28 Bow Street during its previous life as a Magistrates’ Court and Police Station.

From the Raw Bar section of the menu, which celebrates the abundance of fresh seafood found in both the British Isles and along the East Coast of the United States, to the dry-aged, fire-roasted Galician Blond Steak, inspired by the best of New York’s classic chop-houses, executive chef Zak Gregoire, continues the play on the NYC-London relationship. Culinary director, Bryce Shuman, meanwhile, has woven moments of New York nostalgia throughout the restaurant’s menu—from the crudités, which honour Shuman’s early-morning trips to Union Square Greenmarket where coincidently, Napoleon Sarony’s famous studio and gallery was located, to the grilled flatbread, which features a secret dough recipe Shuman acquired from one of Little Italy’s most beloved pizza shops in his early days as a chef.

“With the opening of Twenty8 NoMad, we have set the heart of our beautiful hotel beating anew,” says Andrew Zobler, founder and CEO of the Sydell Group. “Within it, we have revived the convivial spirit of the grand Victorian palm courts active during the era when 28 Bow Street was built. It is very much in the spirit of NoMad to view London carefully through the eyes of a New Yorker—hence the reference to Sarony because he did the same over 100 years ago, in a way that was modern, exciting, and inclusive. It brings me great joy to open a restaurant that embodies these principles in a building where, for too long, they were absent."

Elsewhere in the hotel, this deep connection to both London and New York, is also reflected in the design of the rooms and public spaces, all of which are adorned with a vast collection of art that explores the influence Europe and America have had on one another’s art scene. The collection of 1,600 collected and commissioned works, by a variety of British and international artists, give a narrative to the hotel experience as you enter each new space. Many pieces of abstract art are featured, which reference the Abstract Expressionist movement, representing a significant moment in New York’s influence on modern art, and a shift in the art world’s focus from Europe to New York. The idea is that as you walk through the hotel, it should feel as though you were exploring a home of a cultured collector.

This home-from-home feel is also realised in the individual design of the 91 bedrooms and 16 suites, which fuse a cosiness, think: velvet chairs and sumptuous drapes, with a sense of grandeur, with retro lighting, silk pillows and marble fireplaces. Bathrooms shimmer with gold mosaic tiles, marble vanities and 1930s-style rippled-glass wall lights. You half expect to see Jay Gatsby emerge—finely coiffeured, after having oiled his hair.

With their separate living rooms, entrance halls and high ceilings, the suites especially give the feel of a glamorous apartment. Chocolate-brown leather beds are lined with crisp sheets and satin throws; velvet pouffes have show-girl tassels and dinky in-room bars mean you can whip up a G&T before you head down to dinner. Adding in a rich and moody colour palette, which includes burgundy-painted, panelled walls and apricot velvet sofas, it feels as though you have stepped into the indulgence of the jazz age.

Eschewing the formalities of a spa, and adding to the intimate feel of the hotel, wellness at NoMad London is instead offered by renowned therapist in residence, Katie England, who sees guests for personalised treatments in one of the hotel’s first floor rooms.

With jazz on the soundtrack, dimmed lighting, large scale art leaning against the wall and a warmed, cocooning therapy bed to lie on, Katie’s set-up is an immersive one. After an initial consultation, she decides what type of facial massage—where her expertise lies—is the best for you.

The signature SCULPT 90 facial—one of her most requested treatments—is an instant gift for tired or lacklustre skin. Katie gets to work with lymphatic drainage techniques across the face, neck, décolletage and scalp, as well as a gentle abdominal massage. It is instantly relaxing (you may drift off to sleep) yet results-driven, especially if you opt for the more unusual buccal massage as part of your experience—a sculpting technique performed inside the mouth to release jaw tension and improve circulation. The effect is one that leaves you looking firmer, with skin that is visibly glowing.

“The treatment work from the inside out,” says Katie. “You can’t really treat the face without looking at the whole body. With an abdominal massage, you can support digestion and encourage healthy lymphatic flow through the core, this extension helps reduce abdominal stagnation and tension, which directly influences how the skin looks and feels. The effect is a body softened, a face sculpted, and a sense of calm clarity restored throughout.”

From late night drinks in Side Hustle, the hotel’s after-dark bar which serves small plates and cocktails influenced by the flavours of Latin America, to coffee and cake in the Library, where you can sit on plush velvet armchairs surrounded by books—the hotel is seductive in its reimagination of old-world glamour. Found opposite the Royal Opera House, its top suite, the Royal Opera Suite, which stretches across 750sq ft and has views across to the Neoclassical façade of the Opera House, is a celebration of Covent Garden’s rich cultural heritage. The hotel may be inspired by New York, but this is unmistakeably London at its best.